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March 24 - April 6, 2016 • Tolosa Press
Dinner & A Movie Tao Asian Fusion —Pismo Palate Pleaser By Teri Bayus
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ome of my favorite culinary terms include “dim sum,” “dumplings,” and “chow mien.” Basically anything Chinese that doesn’t include MSG. I love Chinese food, but I used to have to travel to San Francisco to get one that was passable as a palate pleaser. Now I am happy to announce that in a little spot off Hinds Way in Pismo Beach an Asian Fusion oasis has sprung up. Here you can sample conscious Chinese food with a friendly taste of Pismo, offering fries, boba and slushies with a decidedly, Asian-surfer flair. Tao Asian Fusion was opened in 2015 by Faye and Tao who emigrated from China to America where they decided it was their dream to own an Asian Fusion restaurant. This husband and wife make a tremendously nice team who make yummy dishes that are unique to the area. Faye said they make all their sauces, so each quarter, they add new items to the menu. Just added were a Thai shrimp, a pork cutlet and a curry shrimp rice dishes. I started with a Pismo surfer favorite, the Mandarin Firecracker Fries with wasabi peas and Hoisin ketchup. These
string fries with a roasted pepper dusting were crisp and delicious. The Jasmine green tea was perfectly brewed and they had taro milk tea, which I had to try. Gary started with the egg custard tart — four little flaky piecrusts stuffed with a savory egg custard. He handed one to a surfer who peaked in the window as we sat watching the sunset over the ocean. Next we tried, and I inhaled, the Asian sliders. These were boa buns (a steamed yeasty bun with the texture of clouds) stuffed with succulent pork and Asian slaw with house made Mandarin sauce. The sauce is lightly spread on the outside too with a sprinkling of sesame. We finished by sharing the crispy chicken rice plate with sesame chicken, bell peppers and onions added. We added some house made chili sauce for heat and enjoyed a sweet and savory
sauce with the sticky rice. Next I came for lunch with girlfriends and we all shared and picked at each other’s food. I ordered the assorted gourmet dumplings, 12 delectable pockets of savory shrimp, chicken and veggie. I love dumplings, so it was hard to share. Served with a homemade Asian slaw and a chili pepper dipping sauce, it was a culinary dream come true for me. Dumplings are stuffed with minced items, then steamed and finished on the pan and I am crazy for them. Next we had the chicken chow mien, a staple in any Asian cuisine and this was chocked full of fresh ingredients and noodles of perfect consistency and taste. There was just enough sauce for a gentle coating. We also shared the Ahi tuna and avocado lettuce salad with seared fresh Ahi filet, cucumber wasabi ranch with
waffle fries and an Asian slaw. The crowd favorite was the coconut shrimp salad with garlic peppers, red onions a spring mix all tossed with a sweet chili sauce. The large prawns were coated in coconut and fried perfectly. We enjoyed all the food as we watched surfers and a family coming in to get sweet treats of Boba drinks. Bubble tea (also known as pearl milk tea, boba milk tea, boba juice or simply boba) is a Taiwanese tea-based drink invented in 1980s. Most bubble tea recipes contain a tea base mixed/shaken with fruit or milk, to which chewy tapioca balls or fruit jellies are often added. The “bubble” refers to the foam created by shaking the tea. I took home for dinner a Wanton soup that would cure any aliment and was big enough for two people. Tao Asian Fusion is located at 220 Hinds Ave., in Downtown Pismo Beach. Along with appetizing dishes, they serve authentic, fresh, iced teas, Boba, snow smoothies, and slushies. Their Asian fusion cuisine is big on flavor, with a creative twist, with friendly service and a clean atmosphere. Call them at (805) 270-2915 Open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Zootopia — Disney’s Most Colorful Film Yet By Teri Bayus
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ootopia is a movie everyone can enjoy. It may be Disney’s most colorful film to date, but it also has the classic Disney moral message for viewers of all ages and backgrounds. Zootopia takes place in a world where there are no humans and animals do everything as if they are humans. They have houses, police forces, and access to our type of transportation. Judy Hopps (played by Ginnifer Goodwin) is a bunny who has always wanted to be a cop. She’s constantly told by everyone, even her parents, that bunnies cannot be police officers due to their size and cute look. She proves them wrong and passes the police academy first in her class and a position in the metropolis of Zootopia. Though promised that she would receive the same treatment like her fellow officers, her police captain Chief Bogo (voiced by Idris Elba) assigns her parking duty. Rather than complain, she takes her new assignment with excitement, hoping her work effort will lead to something better. After arresting a thieving weasel, she’s given a chance to find a missing otter within 48 hours or risk having to resign. The only clue she has is a photo from where Emmet Otterton was last
seen. She finds a clue that leads her to the sly, con artist fox, “Nick Wilde” (played by Jason Bateman). Though she has a prejudice against foxes they team up to find the otter. Their various clues take them to a nudist club run by a Yak (played by Tommy Chong), a DMV run by sloths (funniest scene ever), and even a crime boss shrew named Mr. Big in order to discover the bigger mystery
within the city. More than anything, it’s worth seeing for its fun characters and inspiring message. The voice talent is as good as it has been for Disney in a long time as Bateman, Goodwin, Elba, Jenny Slate, and J.K. Simmons all do a wonderful job bringing these characters to life. You will get attached to Hopps and her unlikely fox friend, Nick Wilde, as
they go on a journey to uncover a conspiracy that is plaguing Zootopia. Which brings up another brilliant aspect of this film, its meticulous plot. Zootopia is one of the cleverest Disney films to come out in recent memory. Its constant nods to pop culture including famous films like “The Godfather” or TV shows like “Breaking Bad” give parents more than enough reason to take their kids to the theater. There are plenty of jokes that will fly over kids’ heads and the humor never gets too silly. It’s a great balance that makes animated kids’ films prodigious, and Zootopia is a respectable example of that.
Teri Bayus can be reached at: livewell@teribayus.com or follow her writing and ramblings at: www. teribayus.com. Bayus also hosts Taste Buds, a moving picture rendition of her reviews shown on Charter Cable Ch. 10. Dinner and a Movie is a regular feature of Tolosa Press.